New Year Aikido at Hama Rikyu Gardens
You mightn’t associate Aikido with the New Year. But I do as do many other people in Tokyo. A group of aikidokas give their annual display at Hama Rikyu Gardens on January 2 and 3. It’s a part of the holiday celebrations.
What was my photo gear for this shoot?
- Camera body: Fujifilm X-T3
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR
What is Aikido?
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art. It has many different styles. You can find it in about 140 countries. Morihei Ueshiba created it by blending his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. He wanted a fighting style that would limit injury to both practitioner and attacker.
How was the Aikido at Hama Rikyu Gardens photo experience?
This display takes place at Hama Rikyu Gardens every year, on January 2 and 3 (except during the pandemic). It is the prelude to the falcon display. How big is the crowd? I’m not sure, but it seems there are at least 1000 people.
The host of the event took us through the history of Aikido and its development. Once he finished that, it was on to the display of the martial arts. All the practitioners were sent down to the mat.
A few of them also seemed to be put in painful holds! I think I would have lasted about two seconds. The locks looked very effective.
Sword-fighting displays were also there. They were real of course but made of wood. If one of them hit, I bet they’d hurt. It was interesting to watch.
By the way, the Fujifilm 100-400 mm lens I used for these photos performed well. As the aikidokas were about fifty meters away, they appeared large in my viewfinder. This was one purchase I don’t regret.
What is Aikido?
Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art created by Morihei Ueshiba. He blended martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. The result was a fighting style that limits injury to both practitioner and attacker. The sport has many different styles. People in about 140 countries practice it.
Conclusion
It might be better if I leave this article here. Aikido and martial arts aren’t my strong points. I hope the photos do the talking. Please leave questions and comments below.
For more martial arts articles, look at:
External related websites:
- Aikikai Foundation (official website)